1,000 Feet Down: Man Sets New Deep-Dive Record

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An Egyptian man recently took the ultimate plunge for the sake of
science. Setting a new Guinness World Record for the deepest
scuba dive, the man dove more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) below
the surface of the Red Sea.

When asked why he decided to dive deeper than any person had
before, Ahmed Gabr, 41, told the media that he was hoping to
prove that humans could survive the conditions of
deep-sea immersion, according to Guinness World Records.

Diving off the coast of Dahab, Egypt, Gabr reached a depth of
1,090 feet 4 inches (332.35 meters). The previous record holder
for the deepest scuba dive, Nuno Gomes of South Africa, also dove
off the coast of Dahab, in 2005, reaching a depth of 1,044 feet
(318.21 m). [ 7
Amazing Superhuman Feats ]

To put these depths into perspective, three American football
fields laid end to end would measure 900 feet (274.32 m) long —
less than the distance these divers reached underwater. Most
recreational scuba divers only dive as deep as 130 feet (40
meters),
according to the Professional Association of Diving
Instructors.

It took Gabr only about 12 minutes to reach the record depth,
which he achieved with the help of a specially tagged rope that
he pulled along with him from the surface, Guinness World Records
officials
said in a statement. However, the trip back up to the surface
took much longer — about 15 hours. Returning too quickly from
such depths is associated with a number of health risks, such as
decompression sickness (also known as the bends) and nitrogen
narcosis from excess nitrogen in the brain, which Gabr luckily
avoided.

Gabr has been training for his world record attempt for four
years, according to Guinness World Records. In addition to
serving as a special forces officer in the Egyptian army, Gabr
has also taught as a diving instructor for 17 years.